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Supplemented sick baby. Supply diminishing.

About 3 weeks ago my daughter (then 2 weeks old) was hospitalized for viral menengitis. While in the hospital I was instructed to supplement half my feedings with formula as so the doctor can monitor her intake. After a week of that and a few more days at home of supplementing to make sure she was eating well, my milk supply has seemed to have decreased. She is never satisfied from Breastmilk alone and immediately after nursing I give her a 2 oz. bottle to keep her satisfied. I tried to eliminate all bottle feedings and strictly nurse but after about 2 days of that my breasts were EXtremely tender, my nipples were cracked, and after about 10-15 minutes of nursing I felt a bad burning and "pulling" sensation deep inside my breast. Needless to say my LO was hungry again only 20-30 minutes after her last nursing session.
I am thinking about getting that shot to boost my supply back up? Has anyone ever had it? What are your experiences with it? Has anyone ever had this problem before?????? NEED HELP!

Re: Supplemented sick baby. Supply diminishing.

I'm not aware of any shot that would be used to boost supply. As far as I know, no such thing exists. There *is* a prescription medication that is used sometimes to boost supply, but that should be used as a last resort as it has some side effects.

It sounds to me like you actually have *two* problems--first is a latch issue. The pain and nipple trauma you describe are characteristic of a poor latch. I strongly suggest you get ahold of a LLL Leader (click the link in my signature) or an LC in your area for some in-person latch help. In the meantime, work on getting a good, deep latch and check out Jack Newman's (non-LLL) site for some videos that show good latching technique:

Correcting the latch will go a long way toward correcting the second problem, which is decreased supply. A baby who isn't latched properly is "crimping their own straw" so to speak, and milk isn't being transferred well. As you get the latch corrected, try to increase feedings at the breast while gradually reducing the amount of supplement you use. If the baby is latched correctly, nursing, even all the time, should not hurt or damage the nipples. Here are some articles that can help, too:http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/increase.htmlhttp://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/enough.html

Hang in there!
Jen

"Mothers are designed to be available to their babies--to help them make the transition into this big, wide world. To teach them to trust, and love, and feel good about being alive."